Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has called for Muslim unity and cooperation, saying the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad offers a reminder that Muslims must defend one another and work together to build a stronger civilisation.
In a message marking the Prophet’s birthday and Islamic Unity Week on Sunday, Khamenei said unity was the first lesson of Islam in dealing with friends and foes.
“The important lesson of unity and avoiding discord is the first lesson of the school of Islam on the discussion of how to deal with friends and foes,” he said.
But Khamenei said Muslim unity should go beyond avoiding internal conflict, arguing that Muslims must also defend one another and cooperate across economic, security, scientific and other fields.
“The second lesson is to defend one another against disbelief. And the third lesson includes various forms of cooperation and synergy in the diverse material and spiritual spheres of Muslims’ lives – in terms of wealth, security, science, and progress,” he said.
He said the ultimate goal of such unity and cooperation should be the emergence of a “New Islamic Civilization”.
Khamenei’s message comes at a critical moment for the Muslim world, six months after the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28.
The opening strikes killed Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials and also wounded his son Mojtaba, who subsequently succeeded him.
Mojtaba has remained largely invisible since becoming Supreme Leader. He has not appeared publicly, including during his father’s elaborate funeral ceremonies in July, and has instead communicated through written messages.
His latest message therefore carries particular significance as one of his clearest statements yet on the political and ideological direction he wants the Muslim world to take.
Khamenei said the lesson of Prophet Muhammad’s leadership was not simply religious observance but solidarity among Muslims and collective strength.
“The Muslims’ unity is the main cornerstone for achieving an exalted, triumphant Islamic civilization,” he said.
He pointed to Iran as an example of what he described as the partial realisation of that vision, saying the country had achieved an “acceptable” degree of the Islamic world’s broader aspirations.
His call comes as the war with the US and Israel has expanded across the Middle East, drawing several Gulf states into the conflict because of their hosting of American military facilities and their strategic relationships with Washington.
Iran has retaliated by targeting US-linked military assets in the region, including facilities in Gulf states, while the fighting has also disrupted shipping and energy flows around the Strait of Hormuz.
The war has exposed the deep divisions among governments in the region. While Arab Gulf states have condemned Iranian attacks on their territories, several remain closely tied to the United States through defence agreements, military cooperation and the presence of American forces.
Khamenei’s message directly challenges that regional order by arguing that Muslim countries should build their own collective strength rather than allow their differences to weaken them.
He warned that division could prevent Muslim societies from reaching what he described as their rightful position of strength.
“Once again, this humble servant’s recommendation to the entire nation is that you mustn’t allow any division whatsoever to emerge between you,” he said.
The message also carries a domestic dimension, with Khamenei urging Iranians themselves to avoid divisions as the country continues to face the military, economic and political consequences of the war.
His emphasis on unity follows an earlier appeal to Iranians to maintain social cohesion and avoid actions or statements that could weaken public morale.
For Khamenei, the Prophet’s birthday is therefore not merely a religious commemoration but an opportunity to restate a political vision in which Muslim solidarity, mutual defence, economic cooperation, scientific advancement and self-reliance are presented as foundations for collective strength.
The message comes as Iran continues to face the United States and Israel six months into a war that has already transformed the security and economic landscape of the Middle East.
